FAQ's

Technical problems and queries about the website

Do I need to log in each time I visit the Hackney Matters website?

To have full access to all the information on the website you will need to log in. The website has been designed for panel members and we want to make sure that it is secure.

I have forgotten my username and password

Don’t worry, there's a message and link for you to click on the log-in page. You will automatically be sent an email with details of what to do next. You will then be able to reset your password so that it's memorable to you.

I don’t receive regular emails from Hackney Matters

You should receive an email once a month. It might be a newsletter, an invitation to take part in a survey or to come to an event, among other things. If you are not receiving emails this regularly there might be a problem with your email settings. Please check whether your email filter is treating the emails from us as spam.

Can anyone else see the Hackney Matters website?

The website has been designed for panel members. The research and consultation staff who put news stories and information up on the website have access to it. Other people cannot see the information on the website.

General queries about our research

How often will I be invited to take part in a survey?

You will be invited to take part in regular surveys. These will be up to fifteen minutes long and will cover a range of issues that we know matter to panel members.

You might sometimes be invited to take part in a short poll. These will only have a few questions and will generally be on topical or current issues.

What other activities are planned for panel members?

There will be an annual event which all panel members will be invited to. It will give you a chance to network, meet other panel members and hear how your views have made a difference. You’ll also get to hear from decision makers in Hackney and hear how they’ve used your feedback.

You might be invited to take part in an online discussion or focus group about an important issue. We might also invite you to come to a smaller group to help us develop a campaign or to tell us in detail about certain issues.

It’s up to you how much you get involved – you can say yes or no to any invitation. We’re grateful for any participation, even if it’s just completing surveys.

Who reads the survey findings?

All of your feedback is anonymously reported and the findings are presented to senior managers, the Mayor and his Cabinet. They will be carefully looking at what people are saying, and making sure that we learn from and make improvements based on your feedback.

Other queries

How do I download the mobile app?

1. Use your mobile phone to open the email inviting you to complete your first research activity

2. Click either app store button to download the B1 app – it takes up less than 10 MB of space

3. Check ‘OK’ to make sure you get the app notifications. We’ll send you a notification when you have a new activity waiting, or when someone comments on your post

4. Enter the community name Hackney Matters and sign in with your credentials. You will only need to login once

5. Downloading the app means you’ll be able to participate in most up and coming research activities using either the member portal or the app

I’m having problems downloading the app

If you don’t have a smartphone or you have a Windows phone, you won’t be able to download the app. Don't worry - you’ll still be able to take part in most of the activities on the web portal and we’ll email you as soon as the next activity goes live.

Can I access the web portal on my tablet and/or phone?

Yes! The community can be accessed from your mobile device or tablet. Simply type the URL into your mobile browser and sign in with your credentials.

Will I incur data charges from my mobile network provider for using the app or community web portal on a mobile device?

Mobile device charges may be incurred by your network provider, based on your mobile device’s data usage package. To avoid data usage charges we recommend you use a WIFI connection. No connection is required when completing research activities using the app.

Why do I have to download an app when I can access the community web portal using my mobile phone?

It’s easier to use the app because:

•You have direct access to live activities

•You can quickly read the activity description

•You can quickly upload your responses

•You also don’t need to be online to complete the activities. So, you could send us your feedback easily while on the move. The app simply stores your responses and uploads them the next time you have a WIFI or 3G/4G connection.

Can I just use the mobile app and not bother logging into this web portal?

The app allows you to participate in the research activities, but it doesn’t give you any information about the community, or allow you to take part in community-wide discussions, so we’d encourage you to log into the web portal at least once or twice if you can. Once started, surveys need to be finished using the same platform, but group discussion and diary tasks can be completed using both the app and the web portal to post comments.

What is B1? Why is the mobile app I have been asked to download not branded?

Hackney Matters are working with a market research software company called Platform One. They built the Hackney Matters web portal and have allowed us to use their mobile app, B1.

I can’t find B1 in the app store.

You have to specifically search for B1 PlatformOne (note capitals and spacing). If you open your invite email using your mobile phone and click the app store button in the email, you’ll be automatically taken to the correct app.

How do I record a video answer using the app?

1. Read the question and have a little think about your answer

2. Tap ‘Take Video’

3. Flip the camera so you can see yourself in the screen and check you are happy with the frame – for example, is the camera far enough away so that you can see your whole face?

4. Tap the big red button and start talking

5. Tap the red button to stop

6. Tap ‘Retake’ if you are unhappy with your video and ‘Use Video’ if you are satisfied

7. Tap continue to move onto the next question or finish the survey

How do I complete a survey?

You'll be emailed a unique URL address for each survey you're asked to complete. Simply click on the URL included in the email or cut and paste the address into a web browser and complete the survey form online. You can also login to www.hackneymatters.org.uk and check if there are any new research activities, we aim to keep surveys relatively short because we know you're busy.

What is a digital diary activity?

A digital diary is a private space where you can post comments and information over the course of several days. Only the community moderator, will be able to see what you post to your diary. The moderator may comment on the information you share. You will be given a specific diary task to complete over the course of several days and whilst the task will not change, we encourage you to respond multiple times.

What are you going to do with the diary content that I send to you?

We’re going to collate all of the feedback that we hear from all of the people taking part and use it to develop and improve products and services for Hackney Matters customers. Nothing that you submit to us will be used in a way that can identify you, and will only ever be presented back in an anonymised manner. Nothing that you submit to us will be used to sell you anything.

What makes a great post?

There is no secret to writing a great post. If you are open, honest and helpful your posts will always be great!

What if I do not know how to answer certain questions?

Alongside all of our research activity questions there should be an explanation that clearly states how the question should be answered. If this explanation is not clear, please contact us and we’ll be happy to provide more advice.

What if I have questions about completing an activity?

Please contact us. We make every attempt to respond quickly to enquiries, and are committed to maintaining a high level of service. On average, we try to respond to messages we receive within a couple of hours during the working day (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). Messages received outside of this will be responded to as soon as possible the next working day.

How many activities do I have to complete?

Ideally we’d like you to check in a couple of times a day – but only briefly.

What if I am not able to complete or submit the survey you have emailed me?

• To submit a survey, all required fields need to be filled in – so please double check that you have completed all required rows and columns

• Have you only used whole numbers when entering numerical data? Our surveys can only take whole numbers (e.g. 99 but not 99.99)

• If you have checked all of the above and are still having trouble completing or submitting a survey, please contact us.

How can I be sure you got my survey responses?

If you were returned to the homepage after completing survey, your responses were submitted. You can also check by clicking on the survey link and a message stating that you've already completed the survey should appear.

I am not receiving emails from you

Depending on your email provider and your personal email settings, some emails sent from an automated system may be diverted directly into your junk mail or spam folder. To avoid this situation, you can add our email address to your safe sender list, safe recipient list, white list (different names are used by different email providers) or to your address book.

My page is blank, not loading, or I cannot move to the next page

Please allow two minutes for the page to load, as it may take a while. Refresh the page: try to either restart, or click the refresh/reload button on your browser, in most cases this will load the question properly and will allow you to complete the survey or activity. Finally, if you have another internet browser installed on your computer, try accessing the survey from there.

Can I see the results of the activities I've taken part in?

Once the community has closed and we've had a chance to think about everything you had to say, we'll be back in touch to let you know the decisions we’ve made as a result of your input.

Queries about personal information

Why do you need to ask personal questions such as age, ethnic background and my family make-up?

This is so that we can see how different groups of people feel about things. For example we might be interested to see how women feel about crime compared to men, or how older people feel about their health as opposed to younger people.

Who can read all this personal confidential information?

This information is treated sensitively and carefully. Only research and consultation staff, along with approved market research companies working on our behalf have access to this information. The information is used for research purposes only and is confidential.

We adhere to GDPR and you can find out more in our privacy statement here.

Will I get sent junk email and mail?

Your information is only used by consultation and research staff, and research companies approved by and conducting panel research for us. We will not pass your information on to other parties or organisations.

How do you make sure my details are kept secure?

Platform One, our selected third party market research software platform provider, has been through a rigorous information security process. All logins to the community web portal are completed via a secure site with SSL encryption.